Primary Department: County Engineer
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Milton Rahman, PhD, P.E., CFM, ENV SP, County Engineer
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Grant - Award
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Texas Department of Transportation
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of the County Engineer for approval to accept an award in the amount of $6,357,268, with a required match of $1,589,317, for the Houston-Galveston Area Council Regional Goods Movement, East Richey Road Improvement Project (Precinct 1), and to execute an Advanced Funding Agreement once it is executed by Texas Department of Transportation.
end
Background and Discussion:
Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) opened a Project Selection Process in 2023 for the Regional Goods Movement investment category. Selected projects will be funded and included in the H-GAC’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), 10- Year Plan, or the Regional Transportation Plan based on the readiness, eligibility, and selection criteria, and will be allocated federal transportation funds. The proposed project located in Precinct 1 on East Richey Road addresses 1.4 miles of the freight and high injury network and is identified as one of the top priority projects in the Harris County Truck Route Study and the Vision Zero Action Plan. This project will be submitted under the H-GAC’s Investment Category, Regional Goods Movement. East Richey Road is a thoroughfare that connects major freight network nodes, providing first and last mile connectivity to large freight industry generators (mills, warehouses, manufacturing), and freight-dependent generators (big box stores, outlet malls, food distribution centers). In addition, the project aligns with the merit criteria outlined for the H-GAC’s FY2023 Project Selection Process: safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity improvements, economic competitiveness, and opportunity, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.
Expected Impact:
The acceptance of this project award will allow Harris County to request $6,357,268 in federal grant funding with a $1,589,317 local match for the construction of improvements along East Richey Road in Harris County totaling $7,946,584. The proposed project will enhance regional freight movement by reconstructing the roadway to improve geometry, add turn lanes, and accommodate increased freight traffic from George Bush Intercontinental Airport. It will strengthen connections to I-45, the Port of Houston, and other critical freight networks. The project will also include Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies such as dynamic message signs and traffic monitoring to improve roadway safety, efficiency, and congestion management. The outcome of this project would increase both freight mobility and safety through construction planning and design efforts to reconstruct and improve 1.4 miles of a major thoroughfare, collectively supporting connections of major freight network nodes, as well as providing first and last mile connectivity to large freight industry generators (mills, warehouses, manufacturing) as well as freight-dependent generators (big box stores, outlet malls, food distribution centers).
Alternative Options:
Pursue the proposed project with local funding versus potential federal funding.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 2. Connect our community with safe, reliable, equitably distributed, and well-maintained infrastructure.
County Strategic Plan Objective: F: Ensure safety and security for all using the county’s transportation network in alignment with the County’s Vision Zero plan.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): F1: Strengthen the County’s commitment to Vision Zero principles and goals.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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4/25/2023 |
23-2364 |
Approval to Negotiate |
Location:
Address (if applicable): East Richey Road between Interstate Highway 45 Northbound Frontage Road and Grovedale Drive
Precinct(s): Precinct 1
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
Regional Goods Movement Investment Category of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s (H-GAC) 2023 Project Selection Process |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
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Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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$ |
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$ |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
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Total Funding Sources |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
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No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: 3002 Choose an item. |
$ |
$1,589,317 |
$1,589,317 |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
4 |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$6,357,268 |
$6,357,268 |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
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Total Personnel |
- |
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- |
Anticipated Court Date: 8/26/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Patrick Mandapaka, PhD, AICP, Director of Community Resilience and Transportation Planning, Harris County Engineering
Attachments (if applicable): Budget, Project Description, Notice of Award, Court Order, Resolution, AFA